Image: Volunteers constructing neolithic huts at Stonehenge Visitor Centre (Historic England Archive)
Survey aims to identify barriers to volunteering after pilot study found 90% of heritage sector respondents described themselves as white.
Historic England has now launched a survey which hopes to understand the diversity of volunteers across the UK heritage sector.
Its Heritage Sector Volunteer Diversity Survey aims to identify barriers to volunteering and gaps in representation across the sector.
The survey follows Historic England’s pilot workforce diversity study, which was published last year. That study found 90% of the respondents described themselves as white.
Sean Curran, Head of Inclusive Heritage at Historic England, said:”Volunteers play a vital role in the heritage sector, contributing skills from visitor engagement to archaeological excavation. Understanding the makeup of our volunteer community is essential to ensure heritage is truly accessible to everyone.”
In March Historic England made a callout for volunteer coordinators in heritage organisations to enable their volunteers to take part, and offered free online training sessions last month.
The findings of the survey will be made publicly available, which is hoped to help organisations develop strategies for creating more inclusive volunteering opportunities across the heritage sector.
